Hypnotherapy In Medicine: The Subconscious Approach To Healing

By John Krukowski, C.H.

“HYPNOTHERAPY THAILAND” website of John Krukowski: this article is based on a presentation to physicians in Thailand sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health Medical Science Department on July 24, 2006. I applaud John Krukowski for his presentation and the advancement of a better understanding of hypnotherapy in Thailand and now the world. For a PDF copy of this article plus handouts with a total of 550 pages which includes research abstracts and an article “Case History: Bee’s Case History” by Paul G. Durbin, Ph.D. go to http://hypno-therapy.us/download.htm)

Foreword
I want to thank the Ministry of Public Health for allowing me to make this presentation. I am hopeful that the door can be opened in Thailand that will allow the people of Thailand to understand and benefit from hypnotherapy. The intent of this presentation is to only introduce western hypnotherapy to Thailand’s medical professionals with easy to understand concepts and hands on examples. There is simply too much to cover in the time allowed so only some examples are touched on. I have provided some research information in the appendix sections. At the time of this presentation there are little or no resources in Thailand for people to learn and understand about the potential healing power of the human mind. Even the Hypnotherapists in Thailand have only just scratched the surface because of lack of western educational materials on hypnosis applications in therapy. I am hopeful that this presentation will start the process of educating Thailand’s medical and mental health professionals as to how the human mind can help them or stand in their way. One thing is certain, the limits of the human brain have yet to be found. John Krukowski,

Acknowledgments
I want to thank my colleagues Paul Durbin PhD and Kevin Hogan Psy. D for their contributions to this presentation. Their input in assisting me in locating relevant materials is greatly appreciated. Also the published comments of the late Dr. Frank S. Caprio. Additional sources of hypnosis research are at http://www.ijceh.com

What Hypnosis Is And Is Not
Hypnosis is a state of mind that allows a person to process and act on suggestions. Hypnosis bypasses the conscious mind and allows direct interaction with the subconscious mind. Hypnosis allows the person to perceive things differently. The altered perception can be emotional or physical. Hypnosis is not magic, although people in and after a hypnotic state appear to have ability to achieve remarkable things. It is also not necessary for a person to believe in hypnosis to be hypnotized.

The effects of hypnosis are clearly visible in brain scans.

1. Pre hypnosis
2. In hypnosis
3. Post hypnosis

Hypnosis Ability To Cure Physical Illness
Hypnosis makes no claim that it can cure physical illness. Hypnosis simply has the ability to stimulate the human mind to its fullest potential to cure the body. Each persons mind has the ability to make the condition better or worse. Depending on the given strength of that persons mind and how advanced the medical condition is the expected outcomes will change. In example, doctors and others have seen people give up and die quickly there after. Doctors and others have also see people fight and survive much longer than expected. It has also been observed seeing people recover completely. We generally accept that humans use about 5% of their brain day to day. That is simply referred to as the conscious mind. The subconscious mind makes up the remaining 95%. Everything other than cognitive thought is subconscious. This includes the regulation of hormones, body temperature, pain management, blood flow, and other functions that can be manipulated with modern medicine. Antibiotics and antiviral medicines are excluded because they deal with foreign organisms. In short medicines that effect how people feel only mimics what hypnosis does naturally. However the manual administration of medicine may exceed the body’s natural ability to produce it on its own. Unlike administration of medicines, there are no side effects with hypnotherapy because nothing is being introduced into the body.

Understanding How Hypnosis Works
In short the human brain is the ultimate expert on the human body. It knows what to do when we are sick even if we as humans have not discovered the answer yet. When you watch a DVD at home, all most people know is put it in the player and push the play button. The need to know exactly what is happening is not necessary. Just the general concept it has to do with lasers is about all most know. The same is true with hypnosis. Hypnotherapists don’t know or need to know exactly what is going on inside the human mind such as what chemical changes are occurring and so on. All that is necessary is knowing how to reach the desired outcomes hence push the right button. Research continues mostly by drug companies to understand how the human brain works. As technology improves the brain is slowly giving up its secrets. This is not so much driven by the desire to know but more by finding a way to make a profit from it.

Hypnotherapy At A Cellular Level
The human mind has the ability to affect change at the cellular level. The changes observed are the result of collective cell stimulation. The mind can select a specific group of cells and ignore others. All that is required is the proper suggestions to achieve this. The need to be in a hypnotic state is not required.

Example 1: If you are traveling down a road and suddenly you encounter the smell a food that you particularly enjoy, your mouth will start to salivate in anticipation of the food. If the desire is strong enough you will stop and indulge. If you don’t stop then once you pass out of the range the desire will pass. This is not hypnosis however it does reflect that the suggestion of eating that food will cause a physical reaction that starts at the subconscious level.

Example 2: Sexual arousal can start with the suggestion of impending sexual activity and/or for some observing sexual activity of others as in pornography. Without physical sexual stimulation the body prepares for sex. Males will start to have an erection. Females will start to secrete vaginal lubrication and experience vaginal lengthening. The process of physical sexual arousal will continue until the suggestion is removed.

Example 3: The sound of a crying baby will cause nursing mothers to lactate even if it is not their baby. By identifying specific hypnotic suggestions the body will respond accordingly. In short giving proper hypnotic suggestions the body will produce or do what it needs to combat illness. An example may be slowing or stopping the blood flow to a tumor causing changes in the tumor. This essentially is no different than the suggestion that would cause males to get an erection by redirecting blood to the penis. Knowing what suggestion is the key. Here is a short client history that clearly shows the ability of the brain to control blood flow: In 2003 a young female client came to me with a fear of needles. She wanted to donate some of her eggs as a way to make some money. The procedure required several blood tests prior to egg harvesting. When it came time for her blood to be drawn her arms became pale cold and clammy.

Her fear was so profound her subconscious actually stopped the blood flowing to her arms as an effort to discourage the needles. When it was explained to her that her subconscious was causing her arms to change and at the same time the suggestion was given, “If they can’t find the blood in your arms the other places they will look are much less pleasant.” After the suggestion the blood visibly returned to her arms in about 30 seconds. She was not in a hypnotic state when the suggestion was given. After that her fear of needles was dealt with using hypnotic suggestions.

Hypnotherapy vs. Psychotherapy vs. Psychiatry
Hypnotherapy greatly differs from psychotherapy and psychiatry. Psychotherapy and psychiatry deal with the conscious mind. The conscious mind is much more technical and requires a more technical approach. This is very time consuming with slow recovery. Most if not all mental illness starts at the subconscious level. Hypnotherapy is the only therapy that goes directly to the subconscious source. Hypnotherapy on average takes 25% of the time of conscious therapy. This is because the subconscious mind is vastly more powerful that the conscious mind. Psychiatrists and Psychologists often send their toughest cases to qualified hypnotherapists. Psychotherapy works by stepping through the problems or tasks and talking about them along the way. Looking at things from many viewpoints and seeing what response is given. This helps to identify and to focus on the problem. This is a long and drawn out process. If you were to give the example of building a house, everything and every step from deciding where to build to getting the material to putting on the last coat of paint must be covered. Psychiatry most typically is the introduction of mind altering medicines. This often only masks the problem with the hope that the afflicted person will sort things out on their own. Unfortunately due to the low number of Psychiatrists in Thailand it leaves few other options. Medications that were intended for short term therapy have been and are being used in long term therapy. This is still a conscious approach. Hypnotherapy deals with the subconscious. The approaches are completely different. It is much like the Trojan horse. All resistance is in the conscious mind. The ‘I can not’ and the ‘I will not’ exist in the conscious mind. Hypnotherapy simply bypasses that and goes to the source. The subconscious is very simple and will only respond to simple ideas. So instead of giving step by step instructions on building a house, that is simply replace with the concept ‘build a house.’ The person accepts the suggestion and sets about building the house. They will only stop and ask for directions if they truly do not know what to do along the way. The subconscious also tends to be lazy and often makes mistakes although all intentions are good. So by helping the subconscious mind to find a new and better idea is one of the keys to hypnotherapy. It is not necessary for a Hypnotherapist to have a degree in psychology or other conscious approaches. Hypnotherapy is unique and should not be confused with conscious therapy. There is at least one group that does not agree with this and some professionals view them as a bit arrogant. Ultimately it is each person’s decision if this is necessary to have both or not.

Quotes From Dr. of Psychiatry Frank S. Caprio
I believe that the use of hypnosis should not be limited to physicians and dentists. Frank S. Caprio: Frank S. Caprio: Better Health With Self Hypnosis: Parker Pub Co. New York: 1985 Hypnosis In Gynecology And Obstetrics: Leslie M Lecron & Jean Bordeaux: Hypnotism Today: Wilshire Books: Hollywood CA: 1947

Medical hypnotists of the past noted that various menstrual disturbances are often amendable to hypnotic treatment. Menstrual pains that are not a symptom of disease have sometimes been observed to be only a product of suggestion. Healthy women of primitive races have been said to feel no such pain, though it is also claimed that the pain is there but not evidenced because of cultural differences in self-expression. Whether true or not, when the civilized girl reaches puberty, she learns from mother, sisters or friends to expect discomfort and pain and to consider the monthly period as the ”curse” of women. As a result of such suggestion, she usually feels the mentioned symptoms. If a female is a good hypnotic subject, suggestion will (248) remove some types of menstrual pain, though diagnosis should be made to determine whether or not this is desirable. Menorrhagia or excessive blood flow during menstruation has frequently been reported as hypnotically controllable. Mention has also been made of hypnotic regulation of the length of period when it is abnormal, though these matters undoubtedly are dependent on causation. As is supposedly true of pain during menstruation, pain in childbirth is partly due to suggestion and expectancy. Civilized women have been taught to expect pain at this time and are convinced that labor must be painful, so of course it is. As every dentist knows, anticipation increases pain, partly through muscular tension, and consequently the prospective mother feels great pain during delivery unless she is anaesthetized, because she has been told that the event will be a terrific ordeal. In primitive races no such belief is held, and primitive women bear children with much less pain. Pain in childbirth sometimes can be prevented through hypnotic anesthesia (the more common is still being used instead of the technical analgesia). Before the recent war its use was frequently reported in, Germany and Austria, and it was, commonly practiced in hospitals in the larger Russian cities. In the United States hypnotism’s ill repute has caused obstetricians to refrain from employing it, though in one Chicago hospital it has been the anesthetic in many maternity cases; a San Francisco obstetrician has often resorted to it; and other isolated instances are now and then recorded.

The method has a real disadvantage in that only a small percentage of expectant mothers are good enough hypnotic subjects for the induction of complete anesthesia. With many more, pain can be lessened. The number with whom it would be efficacious could be greatly increased if time were taken to teach them to become good subjects. The time required to (249) produce hypnotic anesthesia and to show the woman how to apply it herself is, of course, another drawback. There is no need for the hypnotist to be present at delivery. Properly applied the subject should be able to hypnotize herself, or else posthypnotic suggestion is given for her to enter the trance when the physician says the proper time has arrived. Of course it would be best if the obstetrician were the hypnotist. Aside from feeling no pain, there are other beneficial aspects to such anesthesia during childbirth. Absence of shack after delivery — possible cause of bad after effects has been noted, and there can be full conscious cooperation and participation in the birth by the mother. This is said to be psychologically desirable.

Physicians who have had experience with hypnotic childbirth seem to be unanimous in considering it highly satisfactory in every way. A matter of interest to obstetricians forced to hurry to the hospital at all hours of the night are assertions by some old-time writers of the possibility of hypnotic control of the hour of delivery and the length of time in labor. Though doctors might welcome the idea, it must be regarded as a very doubtful matter, since so many factors are involved. There may be a possibility of influencing the duration of labor because of the more active participation of the mother. Many women suffer from nausea during part of their pregnancy-the so-called “morning sickness.” Again depending on cause, it has been found possible to eliminate the condition through hypnotic suggestion. Moil and others have attested to the hypnotic stimulation of milk in mothers who nursed their children, when there was insufficient mammary gland secretion or secretion was prevented through emotional causes.

In connection with hypnotic anesthesia for childbirth, (250) writers of long ago such as Bernheim, Moll, Bramwell and many others told of the very rapid healing of damaged tissue through suggestion. These were physicians who should have been able to evaluate their results properly. So far as we know, there has been no controlled scientific investigation of this interesting subject. The abrupt healing of wounds and lesions also has been observed in connection with various faith cures. Cellular growth is a concern of the autonomic nervous system, and it is barely possible that hypnotic stimulation and control might be effectual. The implications are fascinating. While the matter must be considered quite unproved it is worthy of investigation. Kalz’s experiments on warts tend to confirm the findings of the old-time hypnotic practitioners, for suggestion apparently caused the granules of warts to be replaced by good tissue. In 1958 there were no more than two hundred dentists and physicians in the United States using hypnosis.

There is at the present time a minimum of 15,000 dentists and physicians using hypnosis. Most of the instruction in hypnosis is now being given by teams of traveling dentists and physicians who offer three-and four-day and one-week post-graduate courses in dental and medical hypnosis. These courses are open to practicing dentists and physicians and persons in related fields. I believe that the use of hypnosis should not be limited to physicians and dentists. It is a proven fact that many qualified and ethical hypno-technicians are capable of achieving successful therapeutic results. Lectures regarding hypnosis and self-hypnosis should be made available to the general public. The inestimable value of self-hypnosis should inspire everyone to apply self-hypnosis to day-to-day self-improvement. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis are gaining increasing importance in the lives of all human beings. The potentials are unlimited. I predict hypnosis will become a great force for the prevention of wars. War is a form of insanity, caused by hate sickness, irrational fears, uncontrolled aggressiveness, and unresolved conflicts arising from religious and other differences which account for the widespread violence we are presently witnessing. Hypnosis is based on the control of man’s intellect over his emotions. Man’s greatest triumph some day will be the conquest of himself so that he may teach others it is better to love than to hate. It was J .B.S. Haldane, British scientist, who substantiated this when he stated: (182) “Anyone who has seen even a single example of the power of hypnosis and suggestion must realize that the face of the world and the possibilities of existence will be totally altered when we control their effects and standardize their application.” (183)

Negative comments about any profession tend to come from unqualified people, hypnotherapy is no exception. A psychologist or psychiatrist is not qualified to make comments on hypnotherapy. Although the expected outcomes may be the same, the methods differ greatly. Think of the differences between a carpenter and a stone mason. Both can build a dwelling but use entirely different methods. All each group needs is a concept of the others methods so they can work together. When a Hypnotherapist is working with a client, only the Hypnotherapist knows what he or she is trying to accomplish. Each person will process the same suggestion differently. If the suggestion ‘Think of your favorite food’ is given, each person would have a different food come to mind. So a person observing a hypnotherapy session would perceive the suggestion differently than the person being hypnotized. The observers’ perception would be conscious based, while the person in hypnosis would perceive it with the subconscious. Conscious suggestions are not processed the same as subconscious suggestion. As a result what an observer thinks may happen after processing it with their conscious logic is not necessarily the same as subconscious processing. The subconscious is impulsive and not logical. As with any negative comment about any profession, the source can be traced to an unqualified person. Very often the comment comes from the media as the journalist tries to understand things that he has had little or no experience with. In most cases this is accidental and not intentional.

Depths Of Therapeutic Hypnosis
As with medication different effects occur at different dosages. There are several scales of trance depths in hypnosis. The simplest scale is the Arons scale. It divides trance depth into six levels. Other scales are more refined and have up to thirty levels. Depending on the reason for therapy different levels of trance are required. Levels one through three are typically all that is needed for emotional problems. Levels four and deeper are needed to bring about physical changes. There are distinct tests to determine trance depth.

Level 1 is very light and this is not deep enough for most Hypnotherapy. Most hypnotherapists prefer deeper levels.

Level 2 is sufficient for dealing with phobias and other minor mental illness issues. This is then minimum level hypnotherapists prefer. Local catalepsy can be achieved at this level.

Level 3 is the minimum depth needed to deal with addictions such as nicotine. It is also the depth needed to modify habits, dealing with mental issues. More pronounced catalepsy can be achieved at this level.

Level 4 is the minimum depth needed to affect physical changes in the body. Changes in physical sensation in localized areas. People will not feel pain but will feel touch. Amnesia can be induced at this stage. Complete catalepsy can be achieved at this level.

Level 5 is needed to effect physical sensations over the entire body. People will feel neither pain nor touch. Vivid memory recovery and positive hallucinations (Positive hallucination: seeing things that do not exist) can occur at this level. Early stages of somnambulism.

Level 6 is only needed when the hypnotist wants or needs a more profound effect. All senses are affected at this level. Negative hallucinations (Negative hallucination: not seeing things that do exist) can occur at this level. Profound somnambulism.

Coma: Levels deeper than level six are not necessary for hypnotherapy. The deepest levels of hypnosis are known as coma. Not because the subject is in a coma, but they only appear to be. The deeper levels are very pleasant and people don’t want to come out. The only people who would seek to use the coma levels would be medical doctors, nurses or other health emergency professionals. The application would be mostly used for trauma patients. All pain and discomfort disappear passing through levels 5 and 6. Coma produces large quantities of hormones related to pleasure and relaxation. Anxiety completely disappears and is replaced with a wonderful sense of well being and being care free. This can eliminate or reduce the need for stabilizing medications in transit or in the trauma center. In short people in coma don’t care about anything but are completely aware. Because of that awareness they will respond to danger if needed.

Hypnotherapists
Hypnotherapy covers a large area. Some Hypnotherapist may not be certified in some areas and specialize in only a few things. Some Hypnotherapists are very holistic while others much more traditional. Typically western doctors prefer more traditional Hypnotherapists. Think of Hypnotherapists as specialists with the subconscious mind. The same would apply to a gynecologist or urologist in their area of specialty. Typically people who specialize only in one area tend to be the best at what they do as compared to people who may cover several areas.

Types Of Hypnotic Suggestion
There are three types of hypnotic suggestion. Each is perceived differently by the subconscious mind.

Type 1 Direct suggestion: Usually accompanied with the words ‘you will’ ‘you should.’ They are used when a specific response is required.

Type 2 Indirect suggestion: Usually given in the form of a metaphor. This allows the subconscious to relate to a past experience and process the suggestion accordingly.

Type 3 Seed suggestion: A very subtle suggestion and also the least controlled. This is because the suggestion is planted and allowed to grow without supervision.

Ease Of Suggestions
Not all suggestions need come from a hypnotherapist while a person is hypnotized. In a medical setting patients overhear conversations about them and react accordingly. A person’s emotional state will change depending on what is heard. Emotions do affect the bodies’ ability to heal. Sad or negative emotions weaken the body while positive emotions strengthen the body.

Negative Suggestions Can Come From A Doctor. If A Doctor Says To A Patient
“You have x months to live” and if the patient truly feels that it is truly hopeless, the patients subconscious will see to it that the doctor is correct and proceed to die one Que. If there is doubt or denial then the suggestion will be rejected.

Example experiment: Have someone sit in a chair and have them put their arm straight out to the side. Ask them to think a happy thought give them a few moments and then push down on their arm. Take note of how much force is needed to push down their arm. Then ask them to think of a very sad thought and repeat the process. Take note of the change in resistance.

Example of a simple seed suggestion a medical doctor might use: A patient is very sick and expects to die in the hospital. The patient fully believes they will never see the outside again. This negative thinking of impending death will make the condition worse. To administer the suggestion simply the doctor would defer a question the patient may have and say “Let’s talk about that when you get out of the hospital.” The suggestion is understood by the subconscious as ‘I must not be as sick as I thought’ and will encourage the mind to end the negative thinking and work on heal the body. Hearing it from a medical doctor is more powerful than from a person seen as a non medical professional by the patient. A hypnotherapist knows how to get around this and can render powerful suggestions.

Body Language
Body language is direct communication from the subconscious. Learning how to read it is a significant part of Hypnotherapy. Body language tells the hypnotherapist how the subconscious is responding to suggestions and alters the suggestions as needed to get the desired outcome. When working with someone it is important to remember that the subconscious of the person who you are working with is reading you too. Never forget communication goes both ways.

Applications of Hypnosis in Medicine (Summary)
There are several applications of hypnosis in medicine. In some cases hypnosis works better than conventional medicine such as Irritable Bowel syndrome. Fibromyalgia, Hypertension, Hypnooncology, Multiple Sclerosis, and pain management are several typical examples that hypnotherapy is commonly used. Dealing with pre and post surgery anxiety, as well as general anxiety in medical settings. There are also several cutting edge applications under development or proposed.

Proposed, Alzheimer’s: Use of hypnosis to see what changes occur in the brain thus allowing the brain to point the way to a cure for traditional medicine. Under development, Stroke: Accelerate the recovery process and or improve expected outcomes with hypnosis. Keep in mind that hypnotherapy is not practicing medicine and should not replace medicine. It is simply a tool that can be used to assist. Think of it as medicine of the mind.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): (General outline of therapy) IBS is caused mostly by anxiety. The afflicted person responds to a trigger (trigger: a sight, sound, touch, sensation, or smell that is related to “x”) that starts the syndrome.

• The first step is to remove that and other triggers at the subconscious level.
• The second step is to show that their thoughts contribute to the syndrome.
• The third step is teach them that they can control the syndrome and to replace the negative triggers with positive triggers.

Hypnotherapy has been proven to be the most effective method. There are several reports available on the Internet that reflect more recent but similar results. One such website is http://aboutibs.org/site/about-ibs/management/hypnosis

Fibromyalgia: (General outline of therapy): Fibromyalgia seems to be caused by miss-communication between the mind and body. The symptoms are exaggerated by the anticipation that they will occur. There are three steps to this therapy.

• The first step is to remove the pain and discomfort.
• The second step is to retrain the brain not to expect the pain and discomfort.
• The third step is maintenance with one session every 4 to 6 months.

This therapy works best in conjunction with other therapies. Chiropractic treatments to realign bones pulled out of location by muscle spasms. Therapeutic deep tissue massage (not Thai massage) to remove any trigger points in the muscles to allow them to relax completely. There are other therapies that work but chiropractic treatments and therapeutic deep tissue massage have shown the best results in supplementing hypnotherapy for fibromyalgia symptoms. Hypertension: (General outline of therapy) Hypertension can be caused by external stimuli or internal obstructions of blood flow. Hypnotherapy will only affect hypertension related to external stimuli. As a result hypnotherapy becomes a quick and easy diagnostic tool to establish if the source of hypertension is internal or external. Typically the change is from 8 to 42 points with most being in the 22 to 30 point range on both systolic and diastolic.

The therapy focuses on stress and anxiety management. It also focuses on relaxation techniques that the client can use. Hypnotic suggestions focus on causing the muscles to be more relaxed and dilation of arteries and veins. The results are lasting; however an occasional follow-up visit every three to six months may be suggested for people who have high stress lives.

Hypnooncology is a method of using Hypnosis to motivate positive emotions and positive thinking “I CAN.” The first program of this type was developed and offered at La Grange Memorial Hospital in La Grange Illinois. The “I CAN” program merges self help techniques with instruction in Self Hypnosis, based on the finding that the state of mind has a significant effect on medical outcomes. People who are engaged in healthy minded living simply do better medically, even if they have a life changing disease. Each person has their own perception of the condition they are experiencing. Because of that personalized suggestions are used within the parameters of the program. See appendix A for a typical case history.

Multiple Sclerosis: This therapy is focused on suppressing emotions that may advance the condition. Inward thinking as compared to outward thinking. Apparently some research has suggested that negative emotions accelerate the advancement of the condition. This therapy is very similar to Hypnooncology.

Pain management: Pain management with hypnosis is very effective for short periods of time. However once a person is taught how to control the pain with self hypnosis the pain can be controlled indefinitely. Hypnosis naturally produces endorphins and endorphins have been shown to be up to twenty times more effective than morphine. Because hypnosis is so powerful, hypnotherapy for pain management should only be performed when the pain producing condition is diagnosed and ordered by a doctor. Simply pain is the body’s alarm that something is wrong. Shutting off the alarm without knowing why is ethically wrong. Often clients seeking other forms of hypnotherapy report that pain they had disappeared completely during the session as an unexpected side effect. Because the focus of that particular therapy was on something other than pain, any discomfort they had returns within the next several hours. A common use in hospital settings is pre surgery. Assuming a pre surgery patient is suffering from significant pain and they are taking medications to control the pain. The mixing of pain medications together with general anesthesia may prove to be life threatening. By seeing a hypnotherapist the patient may be able to reduce or eliminate the pain medication prior to surgery thus reducing the chance of complications in surgery. Waking surgery has been done in operating theaters for patients who are allergic to anesthesia.

Hypnotherapy And Mental Health
Hypnotherapy has been proven to be helpful with mental illness. To understand how this works mental illness must be first classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Mild may be defined as loss of a loved one and or the inability to cope with a situation and phobias. Moderate would be defined as mental illness other than a desire to harm themselves or others. They are still able to distinguish reality from imagination. Severe may be defined as the inability to separate reality from imagination and or a desire to harm others or themselves. Hypnotherapy is very effective in mild and moderate cases with results often occurring much quicker than conscious therapy. Severe mental illness is best left to a psychiatrist as they can introduce medications to initially assist. After the patient has been stabilized and brought down to moderate levels, then hypnotherapy can be used in conjunction with psychiatry.

Other Common Applications Of Hypnotherapy
There are several applications of hypnotherapy. Not every hypnotherapist does the same therapy.

Below are listed many of the more common therapies:
One of the most common and recognized is smoking cessation. It is the only method that breaks the mental addiction to nicotine.

• Weight management.
• Sexual dysfunction including erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, frigidity.
• Stress and anxiety management.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder OCD.
• Sleep disorders.
• Eating disorders.
• Antidepressant withdrawal.
• Diabetes.

My first exposure to Hypnosis followed the same path as many of you. In 1980 I went to see a Stage Hypnotist perform. I was totally amazed at what Hypnosis could do. This started a spark inside me that was always in the back of my head. At that time I had no idea that Hypnosis could be used for other things. A few years later I happened across a book on Hypnosis. Needless to say I could not put it down until I was looking at the back cover. Finding information on Hypnosis back then was difficult because the Internet had not been born. Every chance I could I attempted to find more books on Hypnosis. By the time 1995 rolled around I had already read over 30 books on Hypnosis. Most of the books were not technical, and more entertaining. The few books I did find that had some meat in them, or should I say the “How to” books I found myself addicted to. In 1996 I was successful in hypnotizing someone, (but I did not know it at the time). In 2001 I committed to getting the formal education required, and in late winter 2002 I successfully completed all the requirement’s and received my certification as Hypnotherapist with the National Guild of Hypnotists. After completion of my initial studies, I elected to specialize in Relationship Enhancement. I continued my studies and attended additional training to further broaden my abilities. I am now also recognized and certified by the American Board of Hypnotherapy. I am now continuing to expand in more areas in Hypnosis including advanced pain management.

Hypnosis has now become second nature to me. One of the areas I studied was rapid trance induction. Even placing a person in trance has become such a part of me, I even find myself doing it by accident in public. I have also started to develop my own unique methods of rapid trance induction that have been surprisingly very successful. Once I understood the concepts the rest was easy. I am not sure if the ease in producing a trance is typical for my colleagues, or if I have discovered a unique method. Whenever I have the opportunity to talk with my colleagues, the topic comes up. As any Hypnotherapist knows, the less time it takes to achieve the desired trance, to more time you have for the therapy. I have started the rough outlines of a book on Hypnosis. It is not high on my list to publish it, but to be more of a journal at this point. I have found the most common problem with Hypnosis is the general public’s misconception at to what it is. I believe that’s because the Stage Hypnotist is most in the public’s eye. Even for me at the very beginning in 1980, I had no clue. I can’t begin to think of the number of times I am asked in public “You’re not going to make me walk like a chicken are you?” Educating the public about Hypnosis and the difference between Hypnosis for entertainment, and Hypnosis for therapy seems to be one of my missions. That is one of the reasons this website avoids technical terms that most people don’t understand. Dispelling fears and myths that Hollywood set in motion seems to be an up hill battle. From time to time I appear in public to help that cause and educate people about Hypnosis. Here are some interesting tidbits of recent conversations I had about Hypnosis.

My goals are to provide the very best services to my clients so they can achieve their goals. Continue learning more about Hypnosis and share my experiences with my colleagues. Explore new methods and concepts. Expanding my certifications in related areas to become top in my field. I want to explore & continue to develop new ways to produce rapid trance induction. I now have also started to focus on pain management and other areas of Medical Hypnosis.

My time in Thailand has proven to be interesting to say the least. From the time I arrived in 2004 it has been an adventure in more ways than one. I have worked with several different groups of people from all around the world. Assimilation of their culture has been one of the more challenging tasks. A very big part of the therapy evolves around each person’s beliefs and culture. I was very surprised at some of this distances people would travel to seek my help. There is a vast shortage of professionals in the area of hypnosis in this part of the world. Because Thailand is a prime tourist destination, people on holiday would also want to take care of personal issues using hypnosis while here. Also people who were in Thailand for medical procedures also wanted to seek hypnotherapy between procedures. Because hypnotherapy works so fast it became a realistic option even if they were here for only a few weeks. From stress management to smoking cessation people were making it a point to seek my professional help.

I have been involved with the Thai Government through the Ministry of Public Health educating their doctors and mental health providers about hypnosis. I was very surprised that so few understood even the simplest concept of the power of the subconscious mind. After Thai doctors saw the potential of clinical hypnotherapy, Thai Psychiatrists started sending me their most difficult cases, mostly people who were suicidal. They were amazed at how fast people turned the corner and started on the road to recovery.

John Krukowski, C.H
My first exposure to Hypnosis followed the same path as many of you. In 1980 I went to see a Stage Hypnotist perform. I was totally amazed at what Hypnosis could do. This started a spark inside me that was always in the back of my head. At that time I had no idea that Hypnosis could be used for other things. A few years later I happened across a book on Hypnosis. Needless to say I could not put it down until I was looking at the back cover. Finding information on Hypnosis back then was difficult because the Internet had not been born. Every chance I could I attempted to find more books on Hypnosis. By the time 1995 rolled around I had already read over 30 books on Hypnosis. Most of the books were not technical, and more entertaining. The few Books I did find that had some meat in them, or should I say the “How to” books I found myself addicted to. In 1996 I was successful in Hypnotizing someone, (but I did not know it at the time). In 2001 I committed to getting the formal education required, and in late winter 2002 I successfully completed all the requirement’s and received my certification as Hypnotherapist with the National Guild of Hypnotists. After completion of my initial studies, I elected to specialize in Relationship Enhancement. I continued my studies and attended additional training to further broaden my abilities. I am now also recognized and certified by the American Board of Hypnotherapy. I am now continuing to expand in more areas in Hypnosis including advanced pain management.